A Minute to Midnight
by andreakayy
Summary: Mulder and Scully start of the year 2000 the right way. Note: This has nothing to do with Season 7's Millennium. Please, R&R. MSR!


**Happy New Year everyone! :)  
This is for Julia, pipermaruduchovny, who I respect with every fiber of my being! The X-files wouldn't mean as much as it does to me today if I haven't met you! Stay strong this year! I love you to bits! :)  
Please R&R**

December 31, 1999

Mulder tapped his pencil on the desk to a rhythmic beat which reminded Scully of something, but she couldn't exactly put her finger on what. She bit her lip as she finished up reading the last sentence in the case file. Looking up, she noticed Mulder was half asleep. She grinned.

The basement office was dark. No sunlight had streamed in from the small window at the top of the north wall. It was 6:00 PM on the last night of the year, and it was already dark out. The fluorescent lights above them were burnt out and needed maintenance, so both Mulder and Scully had to use lamps, which omitted little light.

"Mulder," Scully said as she walked over to the coat rack by the door. It was time to go. Mulder eyes flickered open, and he squinted in the light.

"Yeah, Scully? Time to leave?"

"Time to leave." She agreed. Mulder stood and walked over to her to grab his coat, a few files in his arms.

"So, you're not going to the New Years Eve ball, huh?"

"Nope," Scully replied as they did their normal routine, walking out together.

"Any reason why not?"

"No reason imparticular, just that I've never really been into formal occasions, you know that. And because, I didn't think you were going."

Mulder contemplated her words as they finished their walk to the parking garage. He saw his car, a long distance away, but he also saw her car, a short distance away. He followed her in her direction, ignoring his own car. She didn't notice. All Mulder could think of was what was Scully going to be doing that evening. He sure was going to be bored.

"I'm not going."

"Well," Scully began, turning around after she opened her car door. She pressed her back up against the metal. "Then what are you doing tonight?"

"Don't know yet. I don't think I'm doing anything. What're you –"

"Plans. But hey, if you want something to do, I could always cancel." She wondered what his answer would be. She didn't really have any other plans aside from reading a book and being in Times Square via television.

"Oh, you don't have to cancel for me." Not exactly the reaction Scully wanted. She frowned. "Unless they were plans you had already wanted to get out of."

"Actually, yeah. I kind of did." Not a lie. She really did want to get out of reading Wuthering Heights for the eightieth time.

"Then, we'll do something?"

"Not go to the ball though, right?"

"Right. Unless, you want to go. Do you have a dress?"

"I do have a dress, but maybe you could just come over my apartment."

"Sounds like a date." Mulder said, with a grin, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I'll see you around 9:30."

"See you." Mulder touched her shoulder and gave her a friendly smile of a goodbye. Scully was just thankful he didn't suggest they go ghost hunting like he had conned her into last Christmas.

As soon as Scully went home, she prepared for Mulder to come over. Why, she was so worried didn't even hit her until she realized she was cleaning her bedroom. She blushed at her salacious thoughts, reminding herself that Mulder was strictly her FBI partner and not anything further, despite the way her heart felt. In battles between brain and heart, Scully always found her brain winning. Still, she cleaned her bedroom before taking her shower.

After her shower, everything seemed to occur in perfect timing. She pulled on some grey fold over yoga pants, a light blue camisole, and a black duster sweater, and she did her hair and make-up. Around quarter to ten, Mulder showed up at her door, a paper bag in his arm, which almost undoubtedly held a bottle of champagne or wine.

"Hey," Mulder grinned and walked into the apartment.

"What's in the bag?" Scully asked, following Mulder into the kitchen, where he sat the bottle down.

"Champagne. I didn't know if you had any, and I didn't know your favorite, so I just grabbed mine," He unclothed the bottle, "Chardonnay, is that okay?"

"More than okay. That would be my favorite too. Are we going to pop it at midnight?"

"That was the plan, Scull-ay." He chuckled. "What liqueur do you have here already?"

Scully put her palm to her face, closing her eyes as she thought.

"Uhm, I have Kahlua Vodka. I've never tasted it before, but that's what Charlie got me for Christmas. Uhm, and that's about it. I'm fresh out of wine, but I have another bottle of Chardonnay."

"Looks like we're set for the party." Scully's eyes went wide.

"Party? I thought it was just going to be the two of us. You didn't invite the gunmen, did you?"

"Well," He said, looking around. "You can't tell me you cleaned the living room just for me."

"I... I –"

"I'm kidding. I meant our small party for us."

"Of course you did," Scully laughed, moving over the cupboards above the counter. "So, Mulder, I must warn you, I have not gotten drunk in the longest time."

"I don't drink too much either, Scully."

"But I must warn you, I'm a cheap drunk."

"Is that supposed to mean I will be ringing the new year in my by self?"

"Maybe. We'll see. Just try to keep me awake."

"Do you want me to make you a White Russian to start?"

"A White what?"

"A White Russian. It's Kahlua, Milk, and Ice."

"Is it good?"

"It's awful. Let me make you one." She raised an eyebrow. "It's amazing tastes like a milk shake."

"Mmm, okay. You make one for yourself and I'll try yours."

Scully sat herself on the counter as Mulder mixed himself a White Russian in the standard glass. First he took a sip, and then offered the glass to his partner who skeptically took it into her hands. After taking one sip her eyes lit up.

"It's delicious." She said, amazed.

"You take that glass then, and I'll make another."

"Thank you. I'll put the TV on channel 11, so we can be in Times Square tonight."

"You should've let me have Skinner send us to New York on a case." Mulder called out to Scully, who was currently flipping channels.

"Well, who wants to start the New Year off with lying, Mulder?"

"I do. We should be right there in Times Square, right now."

"Shut up, Mulder. Come sit on the couch with me."

Time passed as easily as time always did with the two of them. There was never a dull moment leading up to 11:45. Mulder and Scully sat on opposite ends of the couch, with their legs stretched out, covering the distance between them.

"So," Mulder began, setting his glass of White Russian down on the coffee table. "We have about fifteen minutes left until the ball drops, Scully. What do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm," She thought, placing her glass down next to his. "Why don't we tell each other something we never told anyone else."

"Like a secret?" He questioned.

"Like a secret. You can go first since I thought about it."

"Alright, that's not really fair but, alright." Mulder put his legs down, and scooted closer to Scully, lifting her legs up and draping them over his lap. "My secret... let me think. I never really forgotten your birthday."

"What're you talking about? You always did."

"Nope. I never did. I would always send you those orchids I know you love so much.... every year. Attached would always be a card, which read 'Anonymous.'"

"Why would you do that?" Scully asked, as Mulder reached out to move a strand of hair out of her eyes. She turned into his hand as he answered.

"I don't know. But, hey... it's your turn."

"No," Scully said defiantly and sat up. "I w-wanna know why." She straddled Mulder's hips and held his face so he was looking her dead in the eye.

"Alright, I'll tell you." Scully smiled. "But first you need to tell me your secret." She frowned.

"Fine. I stole candy off of Skinner's secretary's desk yesterday."

"That's not a secret!" Mulder whined, throwing his head back.

"Yes, it is! Now tell me why you did that."

"No."

"Fine. I'll let you know another secret."

"A real one this time." Scully rolled her eyes and began to think of another one.

"Okay. So, I really didn't have any plans tonight, aside from reading my book."

"Why would you say you did?" Scully rolled her lips under her teeth in attempt not to answer.

"I'll tell you if you... dance with me... and tell me why you did what you did!"

"Dance with you? Scully, there's no –" But before he could finish his sentence, Scully already pulled Mulder off of the couch and led him to her Stereo against the wall.

After opening the glass doors, she flicked on the power & changed the station to 96.1, a channel all the teenagers listened to. Playing, was a mix, and neither Mulder nor Scully knew what song was playing. Scully only giggled and placed nor hand behind Mulder's neck and pulled him to her. To the beat of the song, which poured from the sound system, Scully danced in a seductive way, and Mulder followed suit, holding onto her body at the small of her back.

"Scully," Mulder breathed into her neck.

"Hmm?"

"It's a minute to midnight."

"We better grab that bottle of champagne."

Mulder beat her to the kitchen, grabbing the bottle by the neck, and they raced back to the living room, just in time for the count down from twenty.

"20... 19... 18..." Dick Clark and the crowd at times square all announced simultaneously.

"You wanna pop it, Scully?"

"No, no... you do it, Mulder." Scully insisted, pushing the bottle away from her.

"8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Happy New Year 2000!" And everyone cheered, including Scully and Mulder, who had just popped the champagne, causing it to flow from the top.

As soon as the champagne stopped spouting, Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully and they looked at each other straight in the eye grinning.

"Happy New Year Scully."

"Happy New Year, Mulder," and she pressed her lips to his, knocking everything out of her mind except for him. Without breaking their lip lock, Mulder set the bottle down, and only intensified it by, picking her up behind her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and Mulder instinctively began walking in the direction of the bedroom, while their tongues danced in perfect harmony to the beat of their racing hearts.

Mulder kicked the door shut behind them.

With a pounding head ache, and a queasy stomach, Scully woke up on her bed, at eight AM. Her palm flew to her forehead in attempt at controlling the throbbing, but there was no avail. Realizing, Mulder wasn't in her room, but her bed told him he was once there, her heart sank. After a few moments of melancholic silence, she slid out of bed in search of something to quench her thirst. She craved water. She craved water, ginger ale, Tums, Advil, and Pepto-Bismol, all at once. She pulled on her robe, and slinked into the kitchen, where she found Mulder drinking a glass of water, clad in nothing but his grey t-shirt and boxer shorts.

"Oh, hey, Scully," Mulder said shyly. He got up from the table and poured her a glass of water, and grabbed an Advil capsule. He handed it to her, and she accepted it graciously.

"Mulder..." Scully whispered in a coy voice. She gave him a faint smile. "We didn't... did we?"

"No. No, we didn't." He answered her a little bit faster than she would've hoped for.

"Oh," Scully looked at her feet, uncomfortable and hurt.

"Hey," Mulder said, moving towards her, and hooking a finger underneath her chin. "What's wrong?"

"Last night was.... nice. It was really nice."

"Then what's the matter?" She turned her head away, and bit her lip. "Scully?" Mulder decided he would take a risk. What was a better way to start off his new year? So, Mulder, gingerly took her face in between his hands, cupping her cheeks, and he brought her lips to his, kissing her sensually. He pulled back slowly, and she still wanted more. Mulder grinned, as did she.

"We'll make that one count, since last night we were drunk." Mulder murmured. With lips so close, Scully only had to move an inch to capture his lips with hers.

"That was nice Mulder," Scully whispered, pulling Mulder into a hug. Her lips were pressed up against Mulder's bicep, where she inhaled his scent. "l think we started this year off right."

**Hope you all enjoyed! & Hope everyone started their New Year off right! It's the end of the decade people! Make 2001-2010 worth it! End it right! It's the end of the end :)  
Now, please review (:**

**-AK.**


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